Although Northwest Arkansas is certainly one of the best places in the US, there are major travel areas nearby that are worth visiting. Once you have a vehicle, it’s super easy to visit these beautiful and exciting destinations!
The main major travel areas near Northwest Arkansas include Dallas, Branson, Kansas City, Tulsa, and Hot Springs (which is actually in Arkansas). You can catch big concerts and events in Dallas. In Tulsa, you can enjoy the gardens and zoo. The Hot Springs are a good choice for a relaxing weekend.
Want to learn more about the major travel areas near Northwest Arkansas? Let’s dive right in!
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Major Travel Areas Near Northwest Arkansas
Although Northwest Arkansas has plenty of amenities and things to do, it doesn’t have everything. However, pretty much no city or state has everything! The benefit of living in Northwest Arkansas is that you can easily travel to places like Dallas and Hot Springs to experience the things you’re missing at home.
So without further ado, below is a list of the major travel areas near Northwest Arkansas.
Dallas
It takes approximately five hours to drive to Dallas, Texas from Northwest Arkansas, which is certainly a short distance compared to most other major cities.
Thankfully, I’ve been to Dallas quite a few times to go to different events like conventions and concerts, so I know how amazing the city is.
While there are plenty of bands that play in different venues across Northwest Arkansas, it’s not exactly an ideal spot for big, well-known singers and bands. So, if you’re ever interested in catching a famous act on a world tour, Dallas is your best bet for seeing them live!
Not only that, but the drive to Dallas is also a fun experience, especially during the summer when you can roll down the windows and take in the fresh air. With only two turns on the journey, it’s a super simple five-hour drive.
Another exciting thing about Dallas is that a new Universal Studios theme park is planned to open in the future in Frisco. Once that park opens, it’ll be an excuse to bring the whole family over to Dallas for a trip from Northwest Arkansas.
There’s no question that Dallas is certainly more lively and crazier than Northwest Arkansas, which is why a lot of people move from there to Northwest Arkansas.
However, it is nice to have the ability to go down to Dallas for:
- Bigger conventions
- Bigger concerts
- Massive stadiums
- Big events
The cool thing is that Dallas is a hub for all international travel in the area. It is a major US city and the state’s third most populous, so constant flights come in and out of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. If you want to go on an international vacation, consider driving up to Dallas and staying with a friend before hopping on a plane to your destination.
Branson is another cool place you can drive to from Northwest Arkansas. It’s commonly known as the Las Vegas of the midwest and is only a 1.5-2 hour drive from Northwest Arkansas.
Although it has a rocky past, Branson has evolved into its own little brand of a city and is a great place to bring family or visit with friends.
Below are some of the cool things you can do and see in Branson:
- Family go-karting outside
- Visit Silver Dollar City
- Big Cedar Lodge
- Table Rock Lake
- The Ozarks
- Golf cart tours around the caves
- Golfing
It’s also a relatively affordable city to visit (certainly more affordable than the real Vegas), so it’s perfect if budget is a concern but you’re looking for somewhere close by to visit.
The third place on the list is Kansas City. Thankfully, Kansas City has a lot of different things on offer that may not be available in Northwest Arkansas, so it’s another excellent place to visit.
Some of the major attractions in Kansas City include:
- Big sporting games and events
- Cool parks
- Lots of museums
- IKEA
Although Northwest Arkansas also has most of the above-mentioned attractions, it does not have an IKEA. That alone is a great reason to visit Kansas City. IKEA stores are scarce across the US, so you should take any opportunity to visit one when you have the chance.
It takes between 2.5-3 hours to drive from Northwest Arkansas to Kansas City, so it’s certainly a day trip! If you want to visit the IKEA in Kansas City, be sure to get on the road early to ensure you have plenty of time to explore the store. It’s easy to get lost in IKEA, so you’ll need lots of time!
Of course, Kansas City offers a lot more than IKEA. There are many other cool stores and attractions to see downtown because it is a major city.
The journey from Northwest Arkansas is also easy because it’s just one road right from Northwest Arkansas to Kansas City, making it a worthwhile visit every time.
Also, I have a 3-day itinerary that can help you decide what activities to do if you’re overwhelmed by everything Northwest Arkansas has to offer.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a foodie, a sports person, a sightseer, or want to spend quality time with your kids; I have something for you. Check out the link below to learn more:
https://www.allthingsnwa.com/3-day-itinerary-northwest-arkansas
Tulsa
The fourth place I want to mention on this list is Tulsa. Thankfully, the drive to Tulsa from Northwest Arkansas is super easy, as it’s only about an hour and a half.
People go out there all the time due to how easy the drive is, and there is a lot of development between Northwest Arkansas and Tulsa.
One of the main attractions in Tulsa is the amazing gardens downtown. There’s also a huge infrastructure boom within Tulsa, making it an exciting place to be.
Tulsa is growing at a very quick pace, so there are a lot of renovations happening in the downtown sections of Tulsa itself. You’re sure to notice many modern and remodeled buildings around the city due to all these renovations.
On top of that, Tulsa has casinos, and these casinos are big attractions since they’re generally illegal across Oklahoma. So if you’re into casinos and don’t want to travel too far, Tulsa is certainly worth considering.
Other attractions include zoos and aquariums. However, one of my ultimate favorite things about this city is the fact that it has a Trader Joe’s, and that’s the main reason I put this city on my list!
Hot Springs
Another excellent place to visit (located within Arkansas) is Hot Springs! Hot Springs is one of the most ‘touristy’ areas of Arkansas, making some people want to move down there. Not only are there hot springs here, but you can also enjoy the horse race track.
As you can imagine, the theme of this place is hot springs. There’s a lot of history behind the hot springs, with many people going there for medicinal and healing purposes. Things to see and do in the area include:
- Mountains
- Trail systems
- Bike races
- Running races
If you live in Northwest Arkansas, Hot Springs is an excellent place to go and spend a weekend by yourself or with friends/family. It’s easy to get to and has some really interesting old hotels.
And that basically wraps up this quick read on the major travel areas near NWA. If you want to keep expanding your knowledge about the area, check out my quiz on “What Northwest Arkansas Coffee Brand Are You?”
Final Thoughts
Although Northwest Arkansas is an excellent place to live, there are places nearby worth visiting. Places like Dallas, Tulsa, and Kansas City are all within driving distance from Northwest Arkansas and offer different, exciting activities for a trip away from home.